Which laboratory finding is expected to be low in cases of anemia caused by insufficient erythropoiesis?

In cases of anemia caused by insufficient erythropoiesis, a low reticulocyte count is expected. Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells that are produced by the bone marrow. An adequate reticulocyte count typically indicates that the bone marrow is responding appropriately to the need for more red blood cells.

When erythropoiesis is insufficient, the body fails to produce enough red blood cells, which leads to decreased levels of reticulocytes in the bloodstream. This results in a lower reticulocyte count since the bone marrow does not have the capacity to generate an adequate response to anemia. Therefore, the reticulocyte count serves as an important indicator of the marrow's activity and its ability to compensate for anemia.

In contrast, the levels of hemoglobin are expected to be low in anemia, but that does not specifically indicate the state of erythropoiesis. The mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and red cell distribution width (RDW) can vary depending on the type of anemia but do not specifically indicate the insufficient erythropoiesis process itself. Thus, the low reticulocyte count is the most direct and relevant finding in cases of anemia due to inadequate production of red blood cells.